CHEEKY vandals have left residents in Upper Stratton scratching their heads.

The green-fingered vandals have been uprooting plants and carefully replacing them with bushes and trees stolen from other gardens.

The gang carried out a series of bizarre raids all in the Brooks Close area, a street of sheltered bungalows for the elderly.

When retired bakery assistant Megan Whiting, 70, heard a noise in her garden late at night she saw three youths and shouted at them.

They ran away and she feared they had vandalised her front garden.

But when she went outside the next morning she saw a three-foot high conifer perfectly planted in a hole where her miniature bush had been.

Now she is hoping to find the owner of the conifer in the hope that the two plants have been swapped.

She said: "They seemed to be digging and I thought they were stealing one of my plants, a miniature tree, so I banged on the window and shouted at them.

"They ran off, but it wasn't until the next morning when I went out that I realised they had planted another tree in the hole where my circular miniature tree was.

"I think they might have swapped the two trees over and I would like to find the owner of the tree they planted in my garden because they might have my plant in theirs.

"It's very unusual for vandals to do something like this, I just can't understand it."

Mrs Whiting saw three men and they were seen to run off in the direction of Hatha-way Close.

They are described as aged about 18 to 20 years with one dressed in light coloured top with hood pulled over his head and one wearing a baseball cap.

Police say this theft is one of five bizarre incidents reported in the area on Saturday night, and they believe all were linked.

The youths believed to be responsible stole three car number plates and damaged another conifer in Brooks Close.

In the other incidents that night, a four-foot high conifer in the front garden of a house in Brooks Close was partially uprooted and branches were broken.

In Medina Way vandals removed the number plates of a maroon Rover saloon and blue Honda Civic and in Hathaway Close they removed the front number plate and badge from a green Renault Clio.

Police spokeswoman Alvina Kumar said: "We want people to help us with information to stop these pranksters causing unwarranted distress and wanton damage."

Anyone who saw any suspicious activity in the area on Saturday to contact Swindon Police on Swindon 528111.